A Journey to Satisfy My Appetite and Curiosity

My Philly Bites: John’s Roast Pork

Another trip to Philly, another chance to sample some more Philly cheesesteaks. That was perfectly okay with us, even if we did have to wait in line in the cold for over 30 minutes at John’s Roast Pork. The popular spot was located in South Philly, close to IKEA and Walmart by the water, a much more trafficked area than Dalessandro’s location.

The little shack by the side of the road offered a number of sandwiches including their iconic roast pork sandwich as well as the cheesesteak. There was a much shorter line for roast pork sandwiches but since we were determined to try both sandwiches, we were stuck waiting patiently with the rest of the crowd as the line snaked slowly inside. Once at the counter, you had to know exactly what you want and be prepared to order the second it’s your turn.

The chaos was a bit overwhelming and after much back and forth with the cashier and the order takers, we finally proceeded outside to the heated area armed with our goodies. We started with the foot long roast pork sandwich. Topped with spinach (for those averse to greens or simply just want the pork sandwich on its own, this was optional), we loaded it up with more peppers and hot sauce. The sesame studded bun unfortunately became a little soggy at the bottom from the heat of the pork. Such a shame.

The bread on the cheesesteak sandwich fared better. We asked our sandwich to be prepared with sharp Provolone and onions. Both were folded into the juicy flavorful meat, melting into one happy mass. The meat to bread ratio on the cheesesteak was also a little more balanced than on the roast pork, making this the more ideal sandwich.

Because we love to eat and I can’t seem to say no to onion rings, an order of golden crispy rings was a must. These were fried to perfection, greaseless and crunchy albeit a bit unnecessary immediately after consuming two foot long sandwiches brimming with meat.

Although the bread at Dalessandro’s was by far more superior, the flavor and quality of meat of the two cheesesteak joints were comparable. The sandwiches at John’s Roast Pork are definitely still worth a trip down to South Philly to sample.